1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of waiter calling devices for use in a restaurant to advise the waiter that a patron requires the waiter's services.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, various devices used to advise a waiter that a restaurant patron requires the waiter's services are known. The following patents are relevant to the field of the present invention.
1. U.S. Pat. No. 3,323,240 issued to Kravitt on Jun. 6, 1967 for “Advertising Displays” (hereafter the “Kravitt Patent”);
2. U.S. Pat. No. 3,821,707 issued to Peters on Jun. 28, 1974 for “Waitress Call System For Cocktail Lounge, Restaurant, Or The Like” (hereafter the “Peters Patent”);
3. U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,151 issued to Morris on Feb. 21, 1984 for “Advertising Display Apparatus” (hereafter the “Morris Patent”);
4. U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,734 issued to Howell on Sep. 20, 1994 for “Modular Display Device” (hereafter the “Howell Patent”);
5. U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,887 issued to Porras on Feb. 6, 1996 for “Water Signaling Device” (hereafter the “Porras Patent”);
6. U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,409 issued to Shank on Jan. 14, 1997 for “Customer Activated Device” (hereafter the “'409 Shank Patent”);
7. U.S. Pat. No. 5,828,294 issued to Shank on Oct. 27, 1998 for “Customer Activated Signal For Service” (hereafter the“ '294 Shank Patent”);
8. U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,039 issued to Korzen on Dec. 16, 1997 for “Electronic Table Pager And Display Device” (hereafter the “Korzen Patent”);
9. United States Patent No. U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,196 B1 issued to Green on Apr. 2, 2002 for “Restaurant Waiter Paging System” (hereafter the “Green Patent”);
10. United States Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2002/0147647 A1 published on Oct. 10, 2002 for “Wireless Maitre D' System For Restaurants” (hereafter the “Ragsdale-Elliott” Patent Application).
The Kravitt Patent shows an advertising display. As set forth in Column 1 beginning on line 40 it states “It is the principal object of the present invention to provide advertising displays having moving objects with improved concealment of the actuating mechanism.”
Referring further to Column 2 beginning on line 66 it states “Also, if desired, within the space 2 a light source 33, such as an electric lamp, can be provided, within an enclosure 34 with one or more openings 35 in the top wall 16 for the delivery of light from the source 33 onto a fixed object 36, such as an initial letter forming part of a name or an advertising symbol.” This patent shows a container with an advertising medium.
The Peters Patent is a wireless call system which includes a central transmitter that is activated by the operation of any one of a multiplicity of switches respectively located at the different tables or booths at a cocktail lounge, restaurant or comparable food establishment. The key, however, in this patent is that when a customer presses his call button, a corresponding numeral on the waitresses tray is illuminated so as to inform the waitress that service is desired. Therefore, in this concept, the trays are created to have a multiplicity of indicators showing all the different tables and when a person presses the button on his table, it sends a wireless signal to the waitress's tray to light up which table needs the waitress's services.
The Morris Patent deals with the concept of having an advertising display in conjunction with items on a table which hold salt and pepper, condiments, sugar etc. It discloses a display apparatus for displaying a plurality of advertisements comprising a base, which holds condiments and comprising a plurality of condiment holding sections separated from each other by the display apparatus. The display also has various structures so that the display can be moved so that different advertisements can concurrently be shown in conjunction with the device that holds the various table utensils and condiments.
The Howell Patent also discloses the concept of a display device used in conjunction with a holder for salt and pepper, sugar, etc. The display device includes a frame with multiple display faces and a support member rotatably coupled to the frame. The support member includes a downwardly extending tab which is designed to engage the ring of a ring top condiment holder to thereby support the entire display above the condiment holder on a tabletop counter.
The Porras Patent is a waiter signaling device comprising a pole having a lower base and an upper tip end, and a light source coupled to the tip end, a power source for energizing the light source, a switch mechanism connected to the pole and operable in one orientation to energize the light source, thereby generating a signal indicating that service is required, and another orientation to de-energize the light source, thereby generating a signal indicating that service is not required, and a coupling mechanism for coupling the base to the pole. Essentially, this is a signaling device which sticks up from the table and after a patron presses the button, the light goes on to signal that service is needed at that table.
The '409 Shank Patent is an invention which comprises actuating signaling apparatus for restaurants for permitting a customer to inform service personnel that service is required. Optionally, a transmitter is actuated to generate a radiated signal which turns on one or more remote indicators.
Specifically, referring to Column 2 it states “Functionally, the remote indicator 12 provides a central location permitting service personnel to determine which customer desires service. The remote indicator may be positioned at any location selected to permit the service personnel to periodically and conveniently determine which customer desires service. The portable annunciators which may resemble pagers, include a suitable indicator to permit service personnel to determine which customer desires service without access to either the customer activated device 10 or the remote indicator 12. Thus, in a typical system the service person responsible has three possible methods of determining that a customer desires service.”
The '204 Shank Patent is also a customer activated signal for service. This is a continuation-in-part of the previously discussed '409 Shank Patent. The invention relates to signaling systems of the type used by customers in a service facility such as taverns, restaurants and stores to alert service personnel that a specific customer desires service. The Shank Patent discloses a customer activated signal for service. The invention relates to signaling system by a customer to signal that a waiter and service is needed. Referring to the bottom of Column 1 and extending to the top of Column 2, the signal is a local indicator 10 comprising an enclosure 11 that houses a signal light 12, a proximity sensor 13, a battery 14, and a bistable circuit 15 operably connecting the signal light 12 with the proximity sensor 13 and the battery 14. The enclosure with the light can be in the form of a simulated beer bottle.
Effectively, this is a wireless system but what it does is enable someone to break a circuit so that by putting your hand out to break the circuit, you can cause the signal light to go on to show that service is needed.
The Korzen Patent is a menu stand or like device which is employed as a signal device to summon a waiter to a table in a restaurant. The device includes a housing having a base that supports it on a table and a low energy demand light source.
Referring to Column 1 beginning on line 31 it states “The invention relates to a signal device for summoning a waiter to a table . . . . A low-energy-demand high-voltage A.C. energized light source is mounted on a housing. An inverter mounted in the housing generates an A.C. output signal from a low-voltage D.C. input.” This patent deals with the detailed electronic circuitry but essentially the concept is that there is a light on the menu stand to indicate that service is needed at that table.
The Green Patent discloses a restaurant waiter paging system. The device discloses a waiter paging system for use in a restaurant. The system includes a plurality of table transmitters which transmit a waiter call signal and a plurality of pager units, there being one pager unit for each waiter. The pager unit notifies the waiter via a vibrator or buzzer that a request has been received and displays the request. In one embodiment, the system includes a central unit which receives the waiter call signal from the table transmitter and which effectively relays the waiter call signal to the pager units. In a second embodiment, there is no central unit. Rather, the waiter page unit receives a waiter call signal directly from the table transmitters. Each pager unit is associated with a set of tables (and hence table transmitters), each set of tables being fewer than all the tables in the restaurant. In either of the two systems, the set of tables with which an individual pager is associated can be selectively altered. In the first (centralized) system, the central unit can be selectively switched between a programming mode and a non-programming mode and includes means for altering the pager/table associations. In the second (non-centralized) system, the pager units are programmable, and can be switched between a programming mode and an operational mode.
The Ragsdale-Elliott Patent Application is an improved wireless maitre d' system which provides electronic interactive communication with a waiter/waitress for expediting and resolving menu orders made by local and remote patrons. The system includes a pager unit configured to fit in the palm of a waiter/waitress with multi-line scrolling and buffer capabilities for receiving and transmitting messages.
While the general concept of a waiter paging system has been known as illustrated in the above patents and patent applications, to the best of the inventor's knowledge, none of these systems have been implemented in any restaurants or taverns. There is a significant need for a practical waiter paging system which will be commercially viable and implemented in eating establishments.